Don C. Brunell

Ask the Commissioner, “Why?”

Imagine you have a product that customers love. It’s top quality, affordable and meets or exceeds all state and federal benefit standards. Better yet, your product fills a void in the marketplace that left people vulnerable and unprotected.

Now, half a million people in Washington use your product and your customers gladly buy it year after year. Nevertheless, a government regulator steps in and tries to put you out of business.

Why? That’s a good question.

The product we’re talking about is health insurance coverage for people who work for small businesses. They’r...